常磐坂（ときわざか）

江戸時代後期，この坂の上に大石忠次郎の屋敷があり，そこに奥州の「義経腰掛けの松」と称された名木の種を植えたという大きな松があったので，常磐の松に因みこの名が付いた。また昔，坂の中ほど一帯に遊廓があって，遊女と別れを惜しんだ客が坂を見返るということから「見返り坂」といわれ，上に芝居小屋があったことから「芝居町の坂」ともいわれた。

TOKIWA ZAKA SLOPE

During the latter part of the Edo era, there was a residence of a man named Oishi Chujiro. On the premises, a huge pine tree had been planted whose seeds were taken from an old pine tree of historical interest called 'Yoshitsune Koshikake no Matsu', meaning a pine tree under which Yoshitsune, (a noted Samurai Warrior of the Genji clan in the 12th century) sat. The slope was named after this evergreen tree. This slope was also called 'Mikaeri Zaka' literally meaning 'Looking Over Ones Shoulder Slope', because customers who were reluctant to part from prostitutes would look over their shoulders when they came down to the middle of the slope. It was also called 'Shibaimachi no Saka', ('Shibai' means 'Plays') because there were theaters at the top of the slope. CITY OF HAKODATE